Code Zulu Alpha: Nerd in the Apocalypse!

As soon as Kaley's hand moved from one place into the other, I was already smiling from ear to ear.

Mikhail went pseudo-barbarically, Ibarra went textbook, while Kaley went for the most graceful or most elegant way possible.

It would seem 'slow' from an untrained eye but it was just as equally as fast and as deadly maybe even more.

Everyone watching her seemed to be in a daze and they didn't even notice that she was done until a few moments after.

What happened was even if Kaley already drew my wakizashi, her slash came from where the scabbard was, coming up and diagonal, almost as if she performed a drawing-slash. She easily cleared that one piece of bamboo but what the other three failed to notice was that the upper half of the bamboo was still in the same place before she moved for a double-cut.

Kaley let out a short exhale as she just flicked her wrist and brought my wakizashi to the left once more before slashing downward, going diagonally to the right.

The same 'slow' attack almost happened twice but Kaley got a little too excited with her second strike.

As soon as the blade entered the top-left side of the bamboo, the pieces toppled off of the wooden stands but she still managed to clear the whole section with her cut. Nevertheless, she was the only one that managed to perform an almost perfect double-cut and she turned around to look at me with a jovial expression.

"D-DID YOU SEE THAT?! I-- I FAILED THE SECOND ONE BUT-- DID YOU SEE IT?!"

I tried to keep it cool, "If you followed the pattern everyone went with, it wouldn't have wobbled… 6/10..."

Kaley started to playfully pout as she went up in my face, "Meanie~ I just wanted to make it interes--"

I cut her off as I pat her head as a joke, "Wanna use my katana?"

Kaley shook her head, mischievously glaring at me, "It'll be weird, no. I'm not used to that."

I nodded approvingly, "Good, wanna add more pieces then? I bet you could beat--"

Kaley shook her head once more, "I think the best I could do is four? Maybe three?"

I almost rolled my eyes, "Roight~ Roight~ Then why don't you--"

Kaley denied me once again, "Nope. I'm hiding my cards. Just be happ--"

Cynthia interjected as she ran up to us, "That looked so cool! I thought it was slow-motion for a moment there! How?!"

Rin added, "I thought it was only me! It really did happe-- Wait, only for the first one, right?"

Tatiana nodded with a pensive expression, "Correct… Care to explain what happened there?"

Kaley turned to me with a puzzled look, "What are they-- Slow-motion? What?"

'Ah… she didn't do it on purpose… not yet...'

I just chuckled as I shrugged my shoulders, "What do you guys mean? Every time I look at Kaley, it's always in slow-- Ack! It's true! Does that not happen to you every time you look in a mirror?! Geez..."

Kaley turned a shade of red, "Be serious..."

"Sirius? I'm gonna pretend I have a kid that's in a school of wizard-- Ow!"

"I said SERIOUS! Not SIRIUS!"

"Stop asking me, all of you have done that at least once in your life. Not only in test-cutting, of course..."

"Huh?"

I had my fill of trolling everyone at least once so I answered honestly, "Some say it's a stroke of luck, being in the zone, or even having high amounts of concentration and releasing it at the right fucking moment. It's almost always done subconsciously or instinctively…"

All of them looked at me with a pensive expression while nodding a few times, "Huh..."

I added, "But~ If it ever happened to you more than once, you're slowly learning to control it. Well, that's based on my experience. In my case, I just remember the sensations I'm feeling right after I noticed that I did something like that and I try to replicate or get back into it when I wanted to do it again. Even replicating a small percentage of it will bring you one step closer to mastering it."

Kaley sat down before looking at her hands, "Wait, mastery? That's too early--"

I waved her off, "No, it's about mastering getting into the zone. Anyone who gets into it could perform at their peak, or even a few percentages past it but total mastery is a different thing… Even I am still far off… I still got lots to learn. But..."

"But?"

I just let out a faint smile, "Nevermind. That's enough, for now."

"You..."

"What? Teaching a lot at once is detrimental… You four are already in the after-dark classes… I'll tell you more when you're ready."

The four just looked at me with a pensive expression before I stood up and helped with cleaning the mess. The three eventually helped me while Tatiana continued to hang out but it was just too quiet because of my sudden explanation of a different topic meant for a different time.

However, what they didn't pick up on was the first piece of bamboo I picked up was the first one Kaley cut down. I felt it up with my hands and my fingers before I placed it in the bag I was carrying.

A faint smile formed on my face, 'It's smoother than everyone… Well, she's getting there… Slowly but surely...'

I just continued picking up the rest of the pieces on the mat and the one Kaley cut down was definitely smoother than everyone else's.

After some time, I cooked a meal for everyone and we ate it in my room while watching a film.

What I made was a simple pot of chili with either rice or cornbread on the side. Also, I cut up pieces of fruit and drizzled them with condensed milk for desserts. Tatiana was so fucking happy she didn't have to use chopsticks this time but what she didn't realize was that she was already accustomed to using her left hand.

I just watched her twirl her spoon between her fingers before trapping it between her pinky and ring finger just to take off a piece of the cornbread soaking on her bowl. After putting that piece in her mouth, she straightened her posture before fixing up her shirt from the back and her sleeves from the sides.

She continued eating right after and her eyes were on the screen this whole time.

'One more test, I guess...'

I picked up Kaley's bowl and placed it over mine before saying, "Everyone done? I'll just refrige--"

Tatiana quickly turned to me with a bowl in hand, "Wait! I just had my second bowl! It's still hot! Wouldn't it ruin the cooler? Shouldn't we wait for it to be lukewarm first?!"

I chuckled, "That's a myth. I'll just leave the pot here, want some more corn--"

"There's more cornbread?! Where?!"

"In the oven..."

Tatiana easily stood up on her feet, "C'mon! You're already withholding sex, you gotta withhold some cornbread too?! Do you hate me that much?! Why bring the pot here and leave the sides below?!"

"Calm down… Easy now… It's only a few pieces that didn't fit in the tray..."

"I'm HANGRY! ANGRY AND HUNGRY! C'mon! I'll help you bring it up! Just put all of them in my bowl! Quick! Quick!"

"Sure~ Sure~"

Tatiana was the first one to come down the stairs but as soon as I motioned at the three that her sides weren't hurting anymore, they just revealed bright smiles before starting on their fruit bowls. The film was still in the middle part and they continued watching while chatting randomly.

Kaley just gave me a knowing look before she sent me off with her eyes.

'Wait...'

I just shook my head because something not hurting wasn't equal to being healed completely. One wrong move or a hit in the injured spot might make the injury worse. I just hurried going down because Tatiana kept calling for me.

"Hey! What took you so long?! You call these a few pieces?! It's like a third of everything! You left the corner pieces too! I love the crusty parts-- Uh-oh… Fuck! Fuck! Move! My stomach-- Shi--"

"What the--"

Tatiana miraculously let go of her bowl and went straight for the bathroom. A lot of cursing happened in between while I tried my best to hide my laughter. However, little did I know she had more than a little accident.

Once it got quiet, I decided to test the waters.

"You okay?"

"S-Shut up!"

"Two bowls, eh? Are you really on your second bowl?"

"I said shut up..."

"You know, I could calculate the volume of the--"

"I ALREADY HAD SIX, OKAY?! SO BRING ME A SPARE-- N-No… Can you please call for Rin? I… This is embarrassing..."

"No… Did you--"

"Don't say it! Just call for--"

"They're still eating, what can I--"

"Not you! I don't… I don't want you of all people to-- Why are you--"

"Calm down… alright? Let me take care of you. I've already seen you naked, right? You said it yourself--"

"It's different! I-- I'm so useless..."

Tatiana just broke down crying even if she was trying hard not to. Her body was just trembling all over and I have to be her shoulder for the moment. This scene was like the time she grabbed me for a hug right when Kristoff just died right in front of everybody. Furthermore, she never hugged me so tight and it seemed she didn't want to let go. She was pouring everything on me and all I could do was hug her back.

"Hey, don't-- You can cry but don't blame yourself. Everyone needs help even if they can do it themselves. I'll just wash this off upstairs, grab you a new set, and come back. Is that okay?"

"..."

"Tatiana?"

"T-Thanks..."

"Okay, I'll be quick. Cry it all out now if you don't want them to see you like this. Do you still want me to call for Rin when I get down?"

"N-No… Just… Just don't take long..."

"Okay… See you in a bit..."